Ballot Access

Do you think you could do your best if you had to run twenty miles just to get to the start of a marathon?

That is an unfortunately accurate description of the results of Georgia’s ballot access laws.

Most people understand that their choice on election day often is between Tweedledum and Tweedledumber. What they do not know is that this lack of choice is a deliberate result of the ballot access laws that restrict which candidates actually get to have their names on the ballot. Republicrats and Demublicans are bi-partisan in their efforts to limit electoral competition!

In Georgia, the barriers to ballot access are expensive filing fees and burdensome petition requirements.

What would be different if our candidates were free to do real campaigning? Polls show that 15% of the population are naturally libertarian in their beliefs. How much stronger might the Libertarian Party of Georgia be if our candidates could devote all their resources to selling the voters on the virtues of small government, personal responsibility, and individual freedom? How many of those 15% might they persuade to join and stand with us?

There is no question that it is a tough job to be a candidate for the Libertarian Party of Georgia. Most of us simply want to take care of our lives, to be good parents, excel at our job, and be a good neighbor. The ballot access barriers are often the deciding factor that prevents an otherwise qualified candidate from representing us on the ballot. The cost is just too much!

The consequences of the ballot access laws are real and serious. It is the responsibility of everyone who wants Libertarians on the ballot to help those candidates get to the start of their marathon prepared to perform their best.